Alyssa Evans loves injecting her own playfulness and silliness into her graphic designs. As a freelancer, she worked on packaging campaigns for companies like Silk and Cured Nutrition. But after years of the contract hustle, she transitioned this year to a full-time position at Boulder, Colorado’s Wild Barn Coffee alongside her friend, Jenny Verrochi, who was in the spotlight last week.
During our conversation, Alyssa talked about why she loves design, why she starts her designs on paper, how she ensured financial success as a freelancer, and how she scouted out a co-working space for her self-employed friends.
What’s your craft at Wild Barn?
My official title is chief pixel pusher, but I consider myself a graphic designer. It’s what I love, what I’m good at, and what I have the most fun doing. Just recently, I dropped my other design clients so I could focus solely on Wild Barn. Our sales are increasing even through this crazy pandemic year.
I design all the apparel, all the packaging, all the ads. I know from working in this business how expensive branding and packaging can be. By doing the designs in-house, Jenny and I get to do whatever we want. It feels very authentic to who we are. If we want to put a naked skier on the can, we can get away with it.
What is it about design that you love so much?
I like being able to spark joy with color and illustration. Design is so playful. I used to work in packaging design at WhiteWave Foods and people said meeting with me was the best part of their day because we’d talk about something creative in the corporate environment. It’s so much fun to play with different ideas and see how we can draw a customer in with the packaging on the shelf. It’s also a little bit of problem solving because you get to communicate a brand’s story.
(From the naked skier to the punny “Barn to be Wild” flag, Alyssa’s pen is behind the designs. See more products at wildbarncoffee.com/shop.)
How would you describe your style?
I’ve dabbled in a couple different looks, but overall I’m trying to bring something silly and lighthearted to my designs. Some things I’ve cultivated in my recent designs are earthy tones and mono-weight lines, but the subject matter is always fun and quirky.
What are some of your favorite projects?
I worked on packaging projects with Silk when they had a little bit of a revolution around plant proteins and milks. They wanted to speak to a new consumer who cared about the environment and what they’re putting into their bodies. We modernized the packaging. That was a really fun project because Silk is sold around the world and you can see it in almost any grocery store. I was so honored to be part of such a big project like that. I also worked with a Colorado CBD wellness company called Cured Nutrition. They really let me run free with fun illustration work.
What’s the process for getting paid as a freelance designer? How did you work up to your current rate?
I’ve been working as a freelance designer since I graduated from college. My sweet spot is to be on retainer for a client. I’ll charge them $85 per hour. I’ve always worked hourly. Once they estimate how much work they’ll have for a month, they’ll set their monthly budget and I’ll work within those hours. I’ve also had clients who are project-based. I’ll lay out in the beginning what they can expect from the different steps. They’ll pay half up front and half upon completion.
I started my career at $25 per hour as a junior designer in New York City. From there, my next job was a little bit more. Now I’ve been in the business for 10 years and I’ve just grown my rate and my skillset and my confidence in what I know my time is worth. If you are a creative person and you can monetize it, fuck yeah. You’re needed in the world. Imagine how boring of a world it would be without artists, musicians, creative writers, movie makers, dancers, and all these creative roles. Be confident about sharing your creativity and showing up in the world as a creative person.
(Pictured above is one of Alyssa’s recent designs. You can see more of her personal and professional work on her Dribbble account.)
Do you have any advice for somebody wanting to get into your field?
I’ve always had clients lined up if I needed them. It’s often been through word of mouth because I like to share my work and I like to make connections. I would say don’t be afraid to let the people in your life know that you’re a creative person who likes doing creative work. That way, when someone says they need branding for a project, someone might think of you. I think that’s worked out well for me.
Another piece of advice I’d add is to start understanding the type of work you want to do. That came over time for me. For example, I want to work with American-made, health products that have good business morals. A few of those companies gave me chances and now I’m able to say I have a little bit of expertise in that area.
What’s a step-by-step explanation of how you work?
Research: To start, I try to get a feel for the brand’s personality. What’s the personality of the person who’s starting it? What’s their vision? Who are they talking to? What does their consumer do? How old are they? I’ll take all of that and start doing research of competitors and their target audience.
Sketch: I take all that I learned and put it on paper. I make a million terrible ideas. You have to understand you’re going to make a million bad ones, but those will lead you to the good one. I typically do really quick and dirty sketches on paper with a mechanical pencil. That’s my number one tool. I really like drafting pencils because they’re really heavy. They just feel good in your hand.
Digitize: Sometimes I’ll photograph those loose sketches and upload it onto my tablet to trace it. Or sometimes I’ll go straight to the computer. I want to get to the computer because I can Control-Z (undo) as many times as I want. I always like getting to the more finalized idea with color and texture on the computer than with the pencil.
Refine: Then I go back and forth with the client with the ideas. We work together to push the winning idea along.
Where is your favorite place to work?
I’ve worked from pretty much everywhere. When I was on the road, I was working in hostels and cafes. As I’m getting older, I’ve wanted a more consistent setup. I like to have that separation from home. One day last year, a bunch of freelancer friends went skiing. We started talking about getting a co-working space. Everything in Boulder is just so expensive. I had just broken my foot so I had a lot of time on my hands. I found this warehouse in the northern part of town. It has high ceilings, space for desks around the perimeter, and room for a sitting area. It’s now my favorite spot to work. You can spread out with a project or tuck away at your desk. That’s where we run Wild Barn. It’s about $2,200 a month for 1,250 square feet including a bathroom. Our prices are $95 for a floater spot, $195 for a dedicated desk, and $295 for a desk with some extra storage space. We don’t do it for profit, we’re all just covering rent. We eventually want to host shows and art galleries.
Live in Boulder and want to join the co-working space? Contact Alyssa.
(“We knew Wild Barn was going to be a brand that’s unapologetic,” Alyssa says. “We wanted to do something bold and fun, and celebrate ladies along the way.”)
I asked Jenny this question, too: What’s it like working with a friend?
I’d be lying if I said at times it wasn’t very challenging. There’s definitely something sisterly about our relationship so we aren’t afraid to give each other creative criticism from time to time. But at the same time, that’s called honesty. We have our of moments of disagreement, but we’re on the same page a lot of the time. Our values are very similar so that makes things easy when we make big decisions. They always say don’t go into business with friends, which is funny. We make a really good team and complement each other really well. If you are going to work with a friend, find someone who has different skills than you. Remember to be kind to each other and put work down at the end of the day.
What other creative things do you dabble in?
My mom was an art teacher for a little bit. She always encouraged me to create things when I was growing up. I used to cut up cereal boxes and make these little diorama homes. I was obsessed. Now as an adult, I love cross stitching, sewing costumes, making jewelry. I got into stained glass and I was making terrariums. I also ordered a tool for rug punching to make some pillows. Every year, I always pick up new crafts.
Is there someone you want to see featured next? Nominate her.
Before you go…
Journal and reflect for 31 days this December (Honing Her Craft)
Access tips and tutorials for handlettering (Threeologie)
Need earth-friendly packaging for your products? (Ecoenclose, h/t Latasha Dunston)